Speed-regulator system



July 15, 1924. 1,501,263

. C. A. BODDIE SPEED REGULATOR SYSTEM Filed Aug. 6, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheetl WITNESSES: INVENTOR m (larezzccAfioddte ATTORNEY July 15, 1924.

I C. A. BODDIE SPEED REGULATOR SYSTEM Filed Aug. 6, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet.2

INVENTOR lareflce Afioabze W TNESSES: 647% Patented July 15, 1924. I

.c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

. SPEED-BMULATOB SYSTEM.

Application filed august 8, 1920. Serial No. 101,586.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE A. Bonnrn, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement inSpeed-Regulator Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to regulator systems and, particularly, toregulator systems for maintainin the speed of rotating members vsubstantial y constant.

One object of my invention is to provide a regulator system that shallso control the excitation of a propelling motor by a differential gearmechanism and a constant 1 speed motor as to maintain the speed of suchpropelling motor substantially constant and that shall preferably beprovided" with means for preventing hunting action.

In many industries, such, for example, as the steel industries, manyoperations are performed which require motors to be operated atsubstantially constant speed, irrespective of the changes in the loadcarried by them. Thus, in a rolling mill, and particularly in acontinuous mill for rolling ingots into billets, it is essential thatthe various sets of rolls operate at substantially constant speed toprevent bucklin or strptching of the steel passing throng the rol s.

In a speed-regulator system constructed,

in accordance with my invention, the excitatrolled as to maintain thespeed of the motor substantially constant, irrespective of the changesin load on such motor.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, a differential gearmechanism, which controls the excitation of the main motor, is jointlyoperated by a constantspeed motor and a synchronous motor. Thesynchronous motor is operatedby a small alternating-current generatorwhich is operated in accordance with the speed of the main motor, and,preferably. the armature of such generator is mounted on the shaft ofthe main motor. The differential gear mechanism selectively operates twoswitches which control the operation of a motoroperated rheostat. Themotor-operated rheostat so controls the excitation of the main motor asto maintain the speed of such motor substantially constant. Preferably,an electromagnet is operated in accordance with the operation of the.motoroperated rheostat for reacting on the differential gear mechanismto prevent hunt- 1n action.

n the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 1s a diagrammatic view of aspeed-regulator system constructed in accordance with my invention, andFigs. 2 and 3 are diagrammatic views disclosing modifications ofmyinvention.

Referring to the drawings, a main motor 1, comprisin an armature 2 and afieldmagnet win ing 3, is so controlled by a regulator mechanism 4 as tooperate at substantially constant speed. The armature Q of the mainmotor is connected through any suitable control apparatus (not shown),to

supply conductors 5 and 6. The field-mag ture 15, which is connected tothe generator 10, and a field-magnet winding 16, which is connected toany suitable source of direct current.

A constant-speed motor 17, comprising an armature 18 and a field-magnetwinding 19, is provided for co-operating with the synchronousmotor 13 tooperate a differential gear mechanism 20. The armature and thefield-magnet winding of the motor 17 are preferably connected to theauxiliary supply conductors 8 and 9, and, if so desired,

any suitable regulating mechanism may be provided for maintaining thespeed of such motor substantially constant. The differential gearmechanism 20 may be of any well-known type and' has been illustrated inthe drawing as comprising a central portion having two bevel gears 21mounted upon a block 22. The block- 22 is fixedly connected to a shaft23. The shaft 23 rotatably supports the end portion of the differentialgear mechanism comprising ear wheels 24 and 25 and bevel gear whee s 26and 27 The gear wheels 24 and 26 are preferably an integral structureand the gear wheel 24 meshes with a gear wheel 28 which is mounted uponthe shaft 29 of the synchronous motor 13. The gear wheels 25 and 27 arefixedly connected together and, preferably, embody an integralstructure. The gear wheel 25 meshes with a gear wheel 30, which ismounted upon the shaft 31 of the constant-speed motor 17.

The diiferential gear mechanism is jointly operated by theconstant-speed motor 17 and the synchronous motor 13, and any change inspeed of the synchronous motor relative to the constant-speed motorefi'ects operation of the differential gear, mechanism for a purpose tobe hereinafter set forth.

A contact arm 32 is fixedly mounted upon the shaft 23 in order to beoperated in accordance with the operation of the central portion of thedifferential gear mechanism. The contact arm 32 which may be constructedof spring metal carries a contact member 33 which engages stationarycontact members 34 and 35 according to the operation of the differentialgear mechanism. The contact members 33, 34 and 35 control the operationof two switches 36 and 37 which, in turn, control the operation of amotor 38.

. The switch 36 comprises a pivotally mounted, contact arm 38a and anelectromagnet 39 for controlling the position of such'arm. The contactarm carries a conleased .position. A spring member 44 is provided forbiasing the contact arm 38a to the released position. The coil of the Ielectromagnft, 39 is connected across the auxiliary supply conductors 8and 9 upon engagement between the'contact members 33 and 34.

The switch 37 comprises a pivotally mounted contact arm 44a which isoperated by an electromagnet 45 and is biased to a released position bya spring member 46.'

The contact arm 44a carries two contact members 47 and 48 whichrespectively engage stationary contact members 49 and 50, according tothe position of the contact contact members 43 and 50 are directlyconnected to the supply conductor 9. The" two contact'arms 38a and 44are connected to the armature 51 of the auxiliary motor 38.

The auxiliary motor 38, which controls the operation of-the rheostat 7,is provided with a field-magnet winding 52 which is Theenergized fromany suitable source. motor 38 may be connected to the contact arm 53 inany suitable manner for controlling the resistance included in the mainfield-magnet winding 3 in accordance with the operation of thedifferential gear mechanism 20.

An auxiliary electromagnet 60, which is; energized inaccordance with theoperation[ of the switches 36 and 37, is provided for reacting on thedifferential gear mechanism in such manner as to prevent hunting action.The electromagnet 60 comprises a core armature 61, which is pivotallyconnected to the arm 32 of the differential gear mechanism, a coil 62,which is connected to the auxiliary supply conductors 8 and 9, and twocoils 63 and 64, which are disposed adjacent to the coil 62. The twocoils 63 and 64 are connected in series to. the two contact arms 38a and44a.

The construction and operation of the electromagnet 60-is completelydescribed in my copending application, 378,731, filed May 4, 1920, (CaseNo. 7125). The electromagnet 60 is basically excited or polarized by thecoil 62, and the core armature 61 is moved in a direction determinedaccording to the direction of the current flow through the two coils 63and 64.

The differentially wound coils 63 and 64, in circuit with each other,are energized in accordance with the operation of the switches 36 and37, so that they receive current at the same time that the motor 38 isenergized, andin a direction corresponding to the direction of currentflow through the motor. Consequently, one of the differential' coilswill create a flux opposing the flux of the polarizing coil 62, whilethe other Serial No.

I 9 arm 38a, and the contact members 42 and '43 Y colls.

If the switch37 is operated, current flows through the'coils 63 and 64in such direction as to operate the core armature 61 to separate thecontact members 33 and 35. If-the switch 36 is operated, the corearmature 61 is raised tojseparate the contact members 33 and 34. Theelectromagnet 60 is not of sufficient strength to separate the contactmembers 33 and 35 or the contact members 33 and.34 untiljust prior tothe-obtaining of normal-speed condition by the main motor -1.

If the speed of the main motor 1 is raised above normal value, thefrequency of the current generated by the generator 10 is raised toincrease the speed of the synchro nous motor 13. Such increase inthe'speed of the synchronous motor 13 operates the central portion ofthe differential gear mechanism to efiec't engagement between thecontact members 33 and 35. Thereupon, a

circuit is completedfrom the auxiliary supply conductors"8 and 9 forenergizing the electromagnet 0f the switch 37. The

2 switch 37 is operated and a circuit is com-,

pleted from the supply conductor 8 through the contact members47 and 49,contact arm 44a, armature 51jof themotor 38, contact to the supplyconductor 9. The auxiliary motor 38 is'operated in a clockwise directionto decrease the resistance value of the rheostat 7 which is included incircuit with the field-magnet winding 3 of the main motor...Accordingly, the speed of the main motor is 1 reduced,

If no means were provided for preventing hunting action, the main motor1 would contmue to decrease in. speed until the diiferential gearmechanism 20 .was operated to separate thecontact members 33 and 35.

Upon separation of the contact members 33 and 35, the switch 37- wouldbe released to prevent further operation of the auxiliary tion of themotor 38 just prior to the ob- 7 taining of normal-speed condition bythe main motor 1. In the operation above de-' scribed, the electromagnet60 is so energized as to exert a force tending 'to se arate the contactmembers 33 and 35. onsequently, such contact members are separated justlprior' to the obtaining of normal speed by t e motor 1 and huntingaction on the part of the regulator-is prevented.

' If the main motor 1 is operating below the speed of the synchronousmotor 13 to decrease. Such decrease in the speed of the synchronousmotor 13 causes the dilierential gear mechanism 20 to eflect engagementbetween the contact members 33 and 34.

Upon engagement between the contact members 33 and 34, a circuit iscompleted from the supply conductors 8 and 9 through the coil of theelectromagnet 39 for operatingthe switch 36. Thereupon, a circuit iscompleted which extends from the supply conductor 8 through the contactmembers 40 and 41, contact arm 38a, armature 51 of the auxiliary motor38, contact arm 44a and the contact members 48 and 50 to the supplyconductor 9. Thereupon, the auxiliary motor 38 is operated in acounter-clockwise direction ,for increasing theresistance included inthe circuit of the main field-magnet winding 3 to increase the speed ofthe motor 1.

Upon operation of the switch 36, the electromagnet is soenergized as toproduce a force tending to effect separation of the contact members 33and 34. Consequently, the setting of the regulator is changed, andseparation of the contact members 33 and 34 is effected just prior tothe obtaining of normal s eed by the motor 1.

In t e systems shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing, no means isprovided for preventing hunting action.- Inasmuch as the two systemsshown in Figs. 2 and 3 are similar to the system shown in Fig. 1, likeparts will be indicated by-corresponding reference numerals.

In the system shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, a worm is directly mountedupon the shaft 23 of the difi'erential gearv mechanism 20. Such Wormmeshes. with a worm wheel 71 which is directly connected to the contactarm 51 of the rheostat 7.

The system disclosed in Fig. 2 operates in the samemanner as the systemdisclosed in "Fig. 1, with the exception that the differential gearmechanism controls the excita-- tion of the field-magnet winding 3directly by means of the rheostat 7.

In the system shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, the contact members 33, 34and 35 di rectly control the operation of a motor for controlling theoperation of the rheostat The motor 80 comprises an armature 81 and twofield-magnet windings 82 and 83. The'field-magnet windings 82 and 83 arerespectively connected to' the stationary contact members 34 and 35-andare oppositely wound in order to eifect operation of the motor, eitherin a clockwise or in a'counterclockwise direction.

When the contact member 33 is moved into engagement with thecontactmember 35, by reason of the main motor 1 operating above of the resistor7 which i's'included in the normal speed, a circuitis completed from thesupply conductor 8 through the contact members 33 and 35, field-magnetwinding 83,

and'the armature 81,'to' the supply conductor 9. Thereupon, the .motor80 is operated in a clockwise direction for decreasing the resistancevalue of the rheostat 7 which is included in circuit with thefield-magnet v winding 3. Thereupon,

the speed of the main motor 1 is reduced. If the main motor 1 isoperating below Inormal speed, the contact member 33 is moved intoengagement with the contactmember 34, by means of the differential gearmechanism 20. Thereupon, a circuit is completed which extends from thesupply conductor 8, through the contact members- 33 and 34 andfield-magnet windin 82 and the armature 8,1, to the supply con uctor 9.The motor 80' is operated inacoun-ter-clock wise direction to increasethe resistance value,

7 circuit of "the field-magnet winding 3.

Thereupon, the speed of the main motor 1 is increased; f

Modifications in the system and in the are rantgement and location ofparts may be ma e within the'spirit and, scope of my invention, and suchmodifications are intended to be covered by the appended claims. I

I claim as my invention I 1. In a speed-regulator system, the combi- Ination'with a motor, and a difl'erential mechanism" having one portionthereof, operated .in accordance with the speed of said motor, ofelectroresponsive means controlled by said mechanism for maintaining thespeed of said motor substantially constant, and for. preventing huntingaction.

tlal gear mechanism jointly operated in accorda'nce'with the speed ofthe main and "constant-speed motors for controlling the excitation ofthe main moter and" means for preventing hunting actiomsaid last namedmeans operating to modify the controllmg Qefi'ect of said difl'erentialgear mechan' m.

.tion in accordance wit 4. In .a speed-regulatorsystem, the ombinationwith.a motor, and a differential mechanism, of means for operat ng oneend portion of said mechanism at a constant speed and for operatingltlifotherdeng poni t espee o sa1 motor, means controlled by said mechanismfor governing the excitation of said motor and means for preventinghunting action, said last named means operating to oppose and limit thecontrolling effect of said dif ferential, mechanism.

P 5. In a speed-regulator system, the comb? nation with a main motor, aconstant-speed motor, and adlfl'crential gear mechamsm jointlycontrolled by said motors, of means' comprising a motor-operatedrheostat governed by said mechanism for controlling the excitation ofthe main motor, and means for reacting on said mechanism in accordancewith the operation of said motor-operated rheostat to prevent huntingaction. 6. In a speed-regulator system, the combination with a mainmotor, a constant-speed motor, and a differential gear mechanism jointlycontrolled by said motors, of a mo- .tor-operated rheostat controlled bysaid mechanism for governing the excitation of the main motor, and anelectromagnet opersaid rheostat forfopposing the action of saidmechanism to prevent hunting action. 7. In a speed-regulator system,.thecombination with a mam motor, a generator operated in accordance withthe speed of the Y ated in accordance with the operation of" main motor,a constant-s eed motor, and a control motor operated y said generator,

vtaining the speed of the main motor substantially constant, andelectroresponsive means operative to oppose the action of said; lastnamed means to prevent hunting action.

8. In a speed-regulator syster'gn the com- J bination with a main motor,analter'natingcurrent generator operated in accordance with the speed ofthe main motorpa constant-- speed motor and the synchronous motoroperated by said generator, of a'di-fierential gear mechanism jointlyopt-grated by the"constant-. motor and the synchronous motor, a-

spee motor-operated rheostat controlled by said mechamsm for governingthe excitation-of the mam motor, and means operated n 10- 3 'cordancewith the operation of the motoroperated' rheostataforopposing the actionof the differential mechamsm.

9. In a speed-regulator system nation with amain'motor, a generatoroperated in accordance with the speed of the main motor, and aconstant-speed motor, of

a differential mechanism jointly controlled by said generator and said-'constantspeed motor, and meansgoverned bysaid mechanism forcontrolling the excitation of the main motor, said means including anelectromagnet' energized to oppose said mechanism to prevent huntingaction.

bination wit 10. In aspeed-regulator system,'-the am,

.a main motor, an alternating v 111.; the combi-- of means jointlycontrolled by said constant i speed motor and the control motor for maincurrent generator having an armature mechanism for governing theexcitation of mounted on the shaft of the main motor, a the main motorand for reactin on said synchronous motor operated by saidgeneramechanism to prevent hunting actlon. l0 tor, and a constant-speedmotor, ofa ditfer- In testimony whereof, I have hereunto 5 ential gearmechanism, jointly operated by subscribed my name this 28th day of July,

the synchronous motor and the constant- 1920. speed motor, and meanscontrolled by said CLARENCE A. BODDIE.

